Buffalo Philharmonic to present $15,000 to John R. Oishei Children's Hospital

The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra will present a $15,000 check to the campaign for the new Oishei Children's Hospital at 9 a.m. Monday at Women & Children's Hospital of Buffalo. The donation reflects proceeds from ticket sales to the July 19 Doctors of the World performance at Kleinhans Music Hall.

This $15,000 is the start of an endowment that will help to build the foundation for bringing Buffalo's culturals to the children and their families in the new Oishei Children's Hospital. Music and the arts are tools for healing and respite, and it is the BPO's hope they become a key element in the design and atmosphere of the new Oishei Children's Hospital.

"We are overjoyed with the success of the Doctors of the World concert and are honored to accept this generous donation on behalf of Western New York's children and all future patients of the Oishei Children's Hospital," said Allegra Jaros, president of Women & Children's Hospital of Buffalo. "It's extraordinary to see a local not-for-profit organization go above and beyond to raise funds for another not-for-profit. The BPO is a remarkable community asset and we look forward to continuing our partnership with them for years to come."

The July 19 Doctors of the World concert featured 40 doctor-musicians from England, Norway, South Africa, Taiwan, Denmark, Germany, Costa Rica, Japan and across the U.S. performing Holst's "The Planets," Bernstein's Overture to "Candide" and Respighi's "Pines of Rome" together with the BPO. The collaboration was part of the global network of doctor-musicians who play together each year in different locations and raise money for local health organizations. This was the first time one of these performances has been done as a side-by-side concert with a professional orchestra.

"The musicians and I enjoyed working with the doctors who came to Buffalo this summer to present a successful and well-received concert," said JoAnn Falletta, BPO music director. "Their enthusiasm and their spirit would have made the entire experience gratifying enough, but to be able to provide this support to Women & Children's Hospital provides an even deeper meaning to that one special weekend in July."

On Monday, Falletta will present the $15,000 check to Allegra Jaros. Also in attendance will be Daniel Hart, BPO executive director; Amy Habib Rittling, co-chair of the Oishei Children's Hospital Campaign; WCHOB patients and their families who will benefit from this partnership; and two BPO trombonists: Tim Smith and Jonathan Lombardo.

The partnership between the BPO and WCHOB continues on through the creation of a new program called "BPOKids Exceptional Kids." Through the sponsorship of Kaleida Health and the BPO, families with children benefiting from services and support groups at Women & Children's Hospital are invited to attend five BPOKids concerts throughout the year. These families are given the opportunity to enjoy a family outing in a supportive environment at Kleinhans Music Hall, including family-friendly performances by the BPO and pre-concert activities sponsored by cultural partners such as Albright Knox Art Gallery, The Buffalo Zoo, Explore & More Children's Museum and others.

More than 65 people participated in the first concert in October, and more than 100 have registered for future concerts.

As Buffalo's cultural ambassador, the Grammy Award-winning Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra presents more than 100 concerts each year. Since 1940, the orchestra's home has been Kleinhans Music Hall, a National Historic Landmark with a reputation as one of the finest concert halls in the U.S. During Falletta's tenure, the BPO has rekindled its history of radio broadcasts and recordings, including the release of 29 new recordings on the Naxos and Beau Fleuve labels. For more information about the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, visit www.bpo.org.

The vision for the Oishei Children's Hospital is to be recognized as the innovator, the highest-quality, highest-value provider and partner, and the regional referral center for women and children's health care for Kaleida Health, in Western New York and beyond.

Women & Children's Hospital of Buffalo, a Kaleida Health facility and teaching hospital for the University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, is the regional center for comprehensive and state-of-the-art pediatric, neonatal, perinatal and obstetrical services in Western New York and beyond.

For more information, visit www.wchob.org.